BP (NYSE:BP) Oil Spill Emergency Response Lowered to Level 2 by Florida

The Florida State Emergency Operations Center lowered its emergency response to a Level 2 concerning the BP oil spill and how it has affected the coastlines of the state, and what threat remains from it.

David Halstead, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management gave this as his reasoning, “Due to the success of the static kill operation and the progress toward a permanent well-kill, the threat of heavy impact to the state of Florida is significantly reduced. While the State Emergency Operations Center has transitioned to a Level 2, the State Emergency Response Team remains focused on protecting Florida’s businesses, residents, visitors, and communities from any oil remaining in the Gulf of Mexico.”

The ability of the Gulf of Mexico to heal itself has caught a lot of observers off guard, and it has changed the way organizations and institutions like the Florida Division of Emergency Management view the overall threat related to the oil leaking into the Gulf.

That's not to say there's not threat left, as they'll continue to go where needed when oil is discovered along the coastlines of Florida.